Page:Things Seen In Holland (1912).djvu/84

 youth a tremendous smoker. It is a common thing to see a four-year-old boy smoking a cigar, and enjoying it as much as he enjoys lekkers, a word which means much to young Holland. It includes every variety of sweetstuff, cakes, or fruit—anything, in fact, over which the youngster can lick or smack his lips. I can recall a journey on a draw-boat, or trekschuit, in the course of which, for the purpose of entering into conversation with a burly old Volendammer, I had tendered him a very large and specially strong Manila cigar. A small boy, garbed in the village costume, and appearing, indeed, a little fisherman every inch of him, looked at me wistfully, whereupon I gave him a small coin, suggesting to him that he should spend it on some kind of lekkers on reaching his destination. The manikin's face assumed a look of sore disappointment, and he